Horst Werner Buchholz was born on the 4th December 1933 in Berlin, Germany, the son of a shoe-maker. In 1943 due to the first bomb attacks on Berlin in the 2nd World War he was resettled in a home in Schlesien. He returned to Berlin after the war.

Landed his first stage role at 15 in a Berlin theater version of the German children's classic Emil and the Detectives. He left school early and found work acting in parts in various Berlin theatres.

In 1952 his film career started with a bit part in Die Spur führt nach Berlin and in 1955 appeared in Marianne de ma jeunesse but it was with the part of Mischa Bjelkin in Himmel ohne Sterne (1955) that really kick started his career. With the part of Freddy Borchert in Die Halbstarken (The Hooligans) (1956) he became a sensation in Germany and was seen as a kind of German James Dean.

It wasn't until appearing in Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull (Confessions of Felix Krull (1957) that he became internationally known. Buchholz had always had a gift for languages and being able to speak English, French, Spanish, Italian and Russian meant he could participate in overseas projects.

Married the actress Myriam Bru (born 1932) in 1958. She gave up film work when they married. They had two children, actor Christopher Buchholz (born 1962) and a daughter.

Appeared on Broadway in 1959. Played Korchinsky in Tiger Bay with Sir John Mills and hayley Mills.

In 1960 Buchholz played Chico in the greatest Western ever made, The Magnificient Seven. His dark, brooding good looks make him a star round the world.
Billy Wilder's 1961 One, Two, Three, in which he played Otto Ludwig Piffl was about the only other great part he had in the 60s as well as Marco Polo in La Fabuleuse aventure de Marco Polo (1965). He played in numerous international projects which were undeserving of his talent but paid well. Gradually, from the late 60s to the 80s he appeared more and more in TV productions.

In 1981, Buchholz failed as host of the dubious Astro-Show on German TV, which was cancelled after only five shows. In the show, the popular astrologer Elizabeth Tessier had been at his side.

Movie wise he was reborn in 1993, appearing in Wim Wenders' In weiter Ferne, so nah! (aka Faraway, So Close!) which won at Cannes. And in 1997 appeared in the acclaimed La Vita è bella.

He died in intensive care of pneumonia while recovering from a broken thighbone on the 3rd March 2003 in Berlin, Germany.